Bolbi

The quality of a product isn't determined by the size of the team, the magnitude of raise, or the resumes of its members. Rushing greatness or expediting timelines by simply adding more cooks in the kitchen rarely works out. Lots of projects collect a bunch of money & try to speed race a product after the fact. This approach often backfires, as motivations become misaligned with front-loaded payments, and the team's passion diminishes. Truly exceptional products are usually led by relentless, passionate founders who are committed to earning their rewards through exceptional results, rather than seeking immediate & fleeting monetary motivation. The core team must exude passion and foster a supportive environment that inspires the best out of each other. Introducing too much money too early often disrupts the culture. I recently listened to a podcast about the creation of Stardew Valley, one today's most popular video games with 100-200k+ concurrent players. It was initially created by ONE person. Barone started Stardew Valley in 2012 and released it in 2016. He single-handedly designed, programmed, animated, created the art + music, and wrote the game. He worked 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 4.5 years. While building the game, he lived with his parents to save money. His girlfriend supported them by working two jobs, & Barone worked a part-time job as an usher at a movie theatre. Stardew Valley began as a small indie project, and has now sold over 30 million copies. Passion + patience = greatness